Just back from lunch with the fellas at work.Some come from Mumbai, some from Kolkatta, a few from Delhi and me from, you know where. All of them were taking turns ranting about their respective cities and someone mentioned "Hyderabad", the industrial hub. Esoterically, I wanted to add, that is not the city that is worth a mention. There are several scoops about the city which makes it vivacious and surely on par when it comes to knocking heads with other metros. I reckoned, they ought to know about the city and its inhabitants who are the most laid-back, sluggish and dildaar people on planet earth. I wanted to see how the birthplace of Ma-ki-kirkiri, Yaaro, Baingan, Phatte and Dimakh Kharab can blow one's mind with its civilization.
Where and how do I start?
I'm always amazed with the city's topography. It amazes me when I see a Darga, temple or a 'shrine' randomly in the middle of a road, because road widening is applicable only to roads and not structures. There wouldn't be any flat roads in the city, either there'd be some road work or some random ditches. The house address you'd be looking for might be MIG A-99/ 13-1/11, Plot No. 60; but the actual location would be Blue House behind Hanuman Temple, near Sai Ram theater. Who would need a map or any navigation system to drive in the city, when there is a 'Pan dabba' around the corner where you can find directions to any place within the 5 mile radius. Be it Malkajgiri, Malakpet or Masab Tank - the directions are always simple, 'Seedhe chale jao'. I never panicked when there was a traffic jam because there is always a 'shortcut' available at your dispense. I've seen people going blah about Hyderabad traffic but do they even know that a 'Hyderabadi' can drive anywhere in the world, Aaram se!
How can I talk about Hyderabad without going cock-a-doodle-doo about the food. Hyderabadi's love their tummies! It is not very hard to find a Chinese fast food center, a bakery, a chat bhandar and a 'wine shop' (liquor store) in a mile's stretch. And yes, those fast food walahs serve Chicken Mansurya, American Chompsi and Veg Soft Noodal. The upscales are a hit too, which won't let you sleep hungry, even if it is at 3:00 AM in the morning. You have the opulent malls on one side and then there is the much lauded Begum Bazaar. There are the starred hotels, Ice Cream Parlors, Spas for the 'bada babus' and the local dhabas, Ice cream dabbas and Bone setting centers for the 'aam aadmis'.
The Hyderabadis, the ones that make the city more special, are worth talking about. They have an amazing time sense and the wait time is always Do(2) minute. They look at the 'Fixed Price' board and still say Dene ka bolo. People living there know how to strive and save, as it is the only metro which has water scarcity even during Monsoon season. However dire the situation is, the first words out of their mouth is Light le baap. Local pedestrians outperform the traffic police in controlling the traffic, all they do is raise their hand upto the traffic and walk dauntless.
Have you ever heard of the saying, "When you have 'em, Flaunt them"? That's our motto. Hyderabad has been a live example of all the lessons on Fraternity and Secularism that I was taught in school. Everyone eats Haleem during Ramzan and everyone celebrates Holi and Diwali without bounds. Every other person you meet would be a Software Engineer or one in the making.
Transformation is a constant global phenomenon and for the good or bad, Hyderabad and the people living there adapt to it forthwith.
Article written by,
~ A true Hyderabadi
P.S: The Hyderabadi jargon has been italicized.
I'm always amazed with the city's topography. It amazes me when I see a Darga, temple or a 'shrine' randomly in the middle of a road, because road widening is applicable only to roads and not structures. There wouldn't be any flat roads in the city, either there'd be some road work or some random ditches. The house address you'd be looking for might be MIG A-99/ 13-1/11, Plot No. 60; but the actual location would be Blue House behind Hanuman Temple, near Sai Ram theater. Who would need a map or any navigation system to drive in the city, when there is a 'Pan dabba' around the corner where you can find directions to any place within the 5 mile radius. Be it Malkajgiri, Malakpet or Masab Tank - the directions are always simple, 'Seedhe chale jao'. I never panicked when there was a traffic jam because there is always a 'shortcut' available at your dispense. I've seen people going blah about Hyderabad traffic but do they even know that a 'Hyderabadi' can drive anywhere in the world, Aaram se!
How can I talk about Hyderabad without going cock-a-doodle-doo about the food. Hyderabadi's love their tummies! It is not very hard to find a Chinese fast food center, a bakery, a chat bhandar and a 'wine shop' (liquor store) in a mile's stretch. And yes, those fast food walahs serve Chicken Mansurya, American Chompsi and Veg Soft Noodal. The upscales are a hit too, which won't let you sleep hungry, even if it is at 3:00 AM in the morning. You have the opulent malls on one side and then there is the much lauded Begum Bazaar. There are the starred hotels, Ice Cream Parlors, Spas for the 'bada babus' and the local dhabas, Ice cream dabbas and Bone setting centers for the 'aam aadmis'.
The Hyderabadis, the ones that make the city more special, are worth talking about. They have an amazing time sense and the wait time is always Do(2) minute. They look at the 'Fixed Price' board and still say Dene ka bolo. People living there know how to strive and save, as it is the only metro which has water scarcity even during Monsoon season. However dire the situation is, the first words out of their mouth is Light le baap. Local pedestrians outperform the traffic police in controlling the traffic, all they do is raise their hand upto the traffic and walk dauntless.Have you ever heard of the saying, "When you have 'em, Flaunt them"? That's our motto. Hyderabad has been a live example of all the lessons on Fraternity and Secularism that I was taught in school. Everyone eats Haleem during Ramzan and everyone celebrates Holi and Diwali without bounds. Every other person you meet would be a Software Engineer or one in the making.
Transformation is a constant global phenomenon and for the good or bad, Hyderabad and the people living there adapt to it forthwith.
Article written by,
~ A true Hyderabadi
P.S: The Hyderabadi jargon has been italicized.
1 comments:
chicken mansurya highlight!!!!
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